Tips

 Sugar Conversion Chart
As you should know by now, Stevia is the only sugar substitute recommended for the hCG Diet. All other substitutes are NO-NOs! Here is a conversion chart to help you figure out how much Stevia to use!

1 cup sugar = 1 tsp liquid stevia
1 TB sugar = 6-9 drops stevia
1 tsp sugar = 2-4 drops stevia
1 cup sugar=2 tbs of Stevia powder

I have just discovered liquid NOW brand Stevia Glycerite! It is awesome! Very little, if no, bitter aftertaste! I ordered mine from All Star Health . I've also learned that "Stevia in the Raw" is a bad brand to buy. It has hidden sugars. So, I will have to look for a source for granulated or powdered stevia and update later.

Tweaks

Experience has taught me that there are little tweaks that help to make the diet work better, but you need to follow the protocol strictly for the first round to establish your own weight loss patterns. Here are a few suggestions I've come across and I've added a few of my own:

1.  Most people can use any kind of rich and creamy skin/hair care product and have no reduction in weight loss. The only thing I've noticed that I have a problem with is hand cream/body lotion. I have read that you can use mineral oil (baby oil), coconut oil, or vaseline because they are not absorbed through your skin as fat. However, they can be very greasy. I have found that Corn Huskers Lotion from WalMart is safe to use and works fairly well.

2.  Count your drops carefully. (I had to look in the mirror when I first started taking them so I could count them) Do not just squirt some under your tongue. Take them as directed on your bottle. (Different manufactures use different formulas so not all bottles have the same directions) Only increase the drops if needed. The symptoms of too much or too little hCG seem to be the same: hunger and/or poor weight loss (less than .5 lbs avg per day) 

3.  It is recommended that you stick closely to the 500 calories. If you are hungry after the first few days, you might try removing 1 or both fruits and adding a little protein. I occasionally have a hardboiled egg in the morning, or 1 whole egg with 3 egg whites scrambled in the microwave. Or, you can have 6 almonds in between  two meals, OR increase your meal protein portion by .5 oz if you are unusually hungry, OR add 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese.  Don't do ALL of these in the same day...choose one "tweak" and see how you do! Be careful if you begin making diet adjustments. Fats can easily creep in as well as extra calories!

4.  Most people find that using the grissini/melba toast causes a slow-down in weight loss. It is recommended that you just eliminate this from your diet. Use it only occasionally for a little crunch or crushed into crumbs for coating meat, but only occasionally.

5.  The diet isn't over when you finish a round of drops!!!! It is absolutely imperative to continue through the stabilization period strictly!!! If you do this, you should not have any trouble maintaining your weight loss. 

6.  If you go back to eating like you did before, you will look like you did before!! In this world there are no absolute CURES! However, having said that, there is nothing that you enjoyed on your former diet that you cannot have again in reasonable portions and occasionally. As long as you do not let your eating and diet get out of control, you should not have any trouble maintaining your new weight! If you pay attention to your weight and apply what you have learned about healthy eating you will be be able to quickly lose a few pounds and keep them from creeping up on you and suddenly showing up as 20 lbs!


7.  You may or may not have heard of Candida overgrowth. This is yeast naturally occurring in your bowel/gut, but which has become out of balance with the beneficial bacteria which normally keeps the yeast under control. If you have Candida overgrowth (and you probably do if you are overweight), you may experience massive cravings for starch/sugar foods. As the nasty critters begin to die, chemicals are released that cause the cravings, meant to feed the Candida so it doesn't die. Eating on the protocol will be beneficial in helping to rid you of this infestation. Once it is gone, your irresistible cravings should disappear (as well as many other possible symptoms you don't even realize you have) and maintaining will be easy to accomplish. Candida lives on starch/sugar!


8.  Organic is the better way to go, but you do not NEED to have it in order to lose/maintain. 


9.  If you are on medications, you should be able to continue using them with little or no effect to the diet. Occasionally thyroid medications or steroids cause slow-downs. Work with your doctor if you want to reduce or quit medications. 


10.  Some people experience feeling extremely cold while they are on the hCG. The recommendations are to dress warmer while you are taking the hCG, drink hot tea with ginger and cayenne, exercise lightly in the morning and throughout the day (this can be as simple as doing jumping jacks, crunches, squats, jump rope, jogging in place). You may also want to do just a 21 day round at a time and take coconut oil during stabilization to build up your fat stores again.  If you have many side effects such as coldness, hunger, fatigue, headaches, light-headed, then it is recommended that you increase the calories and take 1 Tbs of pure coconut oil per day in cooking or just melting it and drinking it as your physical makeup may not be appropriate for 500 calories and low-fat. This should be a last resort.



Dealing with Hunger

Most people will feel a marked decrease in hunger during Phase 2, the 500 calorie (very low calorie) portion of the protocol. This is due to the fact that you are receiving nutrients from your abnormal fat reserves. Some people feel no hunger at all, others will have some hunger a couple times a day, and a few people will be very hungry.

Most of the time, when your body thinks it is hungry, it is really just thirsty. Drinking a large glass or two of water will most often make the hunger go away. If it doesn't go away and you are truly hungry (stomach is growling) and not just desiring to eat, you can take extra drops. If you have gotten drops from me, you are "allowed" to take extra doses of 5 drops. If you are taking them 3 times a day, you are permitted to take them an additional 3 times if needed. Only do this if you are truly hungry, though, because taking too much hCG can make you hungry as well! Only increase if needed, otherwise, stick to the protocol of 3 times a day. (If you have gotten drops elsewhere, be sure to follow the directions that were given to you). Be sure you are taking them 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything and holding the drops under your tongue for 30 seconds up to 3 minutes. You want to be sure they are absorbed into your bloodstream and not swallowed, because if they get into your digestive system instead of your bloodstream, they will not work.


If you are very hungry and suffering from excessive low blood sugar symptoms, and you've followed the protocol directions to the letter (including the Loading Phase - Phase 1), you may not have enough "long-term fat" to carry you through or there are other major issues that you need to address first (food sensitivities, hormonal imbalances, brain chemistry, emotional eating, exercise, metabolic typing, motivation, etc.)


It is not healthy to feel like you are starving or have constant low blood sugars (symptoms include feeling ravenous, light-headed, irritable, spacey, weak, headaches). If you are struggling with these symptoms, then you need to consume something every 1-2 hours to keep your blood sugars stable.


This may include:


*Drinking 10 ounces of water with psyllium or colon cleanse powder followed by 8 ounces of water 3-6 times a day when hungry.


*Eating 2 ounces of protein four times a day. (instead of 3 ounces twice a day)


*Eating 1 cup of low starch vegetables (listed on your diet protocol sheet) 6-10 times a day.


*Drinking low-sodium vegetable soup/broths throughout the day. (homemade is best because it has no preservatives and lower sodium)


*Eating 1 fruit.

*Drinking lemonade made from fresh lemon juice and stevia and/or diluted tomato juice or diluted vegetable juices throughout the day.

*Drinking a protein shake with frozen berries (no sugar)

If you have a need to try any of these things, eat or drink them at different times of day so that you have a constant low-level intake of calories to keep your blood sugars steady. Keep your 500 calories in mind and don't go way over it! Doing these things are just to help you until your system regulates and evens out. As long as you are not having a problem, or the problem corrects itself, go back to the original protocol and you will see bigger losses.